The National tribune., 1887-03-24
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
sMALL-FRUITs.


Now that the season for planting is near at
hand, the small fruits should not be forgotten.
One cannot have too many strawberries, rasp-
berries, blackberries, currants. goOseberries and
grapes. The domestic supply of fruit can never
be in excess. 1t is more healthful than meat,
and especially pork, and with good bread and
butter, and eggs and milk, which are never
stinted in the farmers house, fresh fruit will
furnish forth a repast ft for any human being
1t requires sugar to sweeten the fruit, no doubt,
but this is cheap and can easily be procured at
the stores in exchange for the surplus berries.
The farmer should therefore not forget now to
secure the plants for full supply of all these
fruits, remembering that a large quantity
should be canned for Winter use and auy sur
plus can be disposed of in neighboring village
at good prices
In choosing varieties it is well to be shy of
new and untried kinds. Where are now all
the kinds that have been introduced the past
few years? We could count up a hundred sorts
that have been put out with gorgeously -colored
pictures and extrayagant praises, but have
turned, like the apples of SOdom, to dust and
ashes in the fruiting. They are now discarded,
and one hears of them no more But thousands
of dollars have been wasted over them, and the
experience gained will not have been too dearly
paid for if it is made warning for the future.
The old-fashioncd strawberries Wilson, Cham
pion, Charles Downing, Kentucky and Seth
BOyden, with the newer Sharpless, Crescent,
Cumberland, Jersey Queen and Manchester,
furnish a full supply through the whole season
of excellent aud prolific kinds. Among the
red raspberrcs Cuthbert is to be fully depend
ed on as good in quality, hardy and exceed
ingiy productive. OF the black kinds Gregg
and Mammoth Cluster may be depended upon
for fruit and goodness of quality. The Kitta-
tinny blackberry is still the best, and if well
manured will not rust. The old Red Dutch and
the White Grape currants have not yet been
superseded. For those who like the black
kindS-the very best for jam, jelly and tarts of
all small-fraits-LeesP Prolific will satisfy every
expectation. The Concord is still the one grape
for the people, and is good enough for those
who desire abundance of good thing rather
than very little of something better.
HORSE BREEDING.
The profit of breeding good horses is readily
perceived by the following figures, the result
OF a recent sale in Kentucky: Sixty-f four head
changed hands at an average of S3jS each max
ing S222,2S0 for the whole. The prices are un-
usually low, but, considering the low prices of
produce generally, should be considered salts
factory. Most of the animals were young and
chiefly colts and iillieS. The business of breed
ing horses is one of the most profitable branches
of agriculture. But before it is undertaken the
farm should be provided with abundant pas
ture. Farmers in the far North cannot COM
pete fayOrably with those in the Southern
States in this industry, because of the long
Winters and cost of feeding for seven months
in tho year. The Southern States are espe-
cially well fitted for it, however, and those per-
sons who are contemplating q move southwark
can make the rearing of horses a special aud
greatly profitable business. But yet the mar
gin of profit is liberal enough to encourage far
mers in the North and West to 90 into this
business, taking no account of the probable ad-
vance In value caused by the enlarged demand
from Europe, which promises to become per-
mancnt. Twenty million dollars have been
expended the past six months in buying army
horses for the English. German aud French
Governments, and this is but beginning Of
the recruiting of these large armies.
ANn ovFR